Material spreader for a vehicle

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for depositing associated materials, including but not limited to salt or sand, onto a surface includes a material spreader hopper, a conveyor to convey associated material in the hopper toward an opening at one end of the hopper; a feed gate adapted to selectively close the opening, an extension and a spreader adapted as described herein, to mount to the extension.

This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/472,328 entitled MATERIAL SPREADER FOR A HEAVY DUTY VEHICLE filed on Mar. 16, 2017, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/471,847 entitled MATERIAL SPREADER FOR A VEHICLE filed on Mar. 15, 2017, the entirety of which by reference are incorporated herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a material spreader for use with an associated vehicle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a material spreader for use in the rear of a truck, wherein the spreader is utilized to broadcast particulate and/or liquid materials over a surface such as a roadway or parking lot.

BACKGROUND

Vehicles commonly used in clearing roadways and other surfaces of snow and ice often utilize a material spreader to treat these surfaces to prevent future buildup of additional snow and ice. In particular, it is common to see both light and heavy duty trucks equipped with a snow plow or other implement on the front, while incorporating a material spreader on the rear. Most often, the material spreader is used to broadcast road salt, sand, cinders, or a combination of one or more of these materials over the newly plowed or cleared surface.

Current spreaders, particularly those used in light duty trucks, tend to incorporate features such as a hopper having sloped or angled interior sides which direct material down to a central, longitudinal conveyor, which in turn drives the material to the rear of the spreader. Here it exits the hopper and falls through a chute onto a horizontally oriented spinner, which broadcasts the material outward to cover an area of the ground surface significantly wider than the vehicle or material spreader itself

These prior art systems are known to be effective in evenly spreading material over a large surface in a short period of time. Despite their known effectiveness, many of these systems still suffer from defects, including the need for regular maintenance such as lubrication and replacement of wearable parts. Furthermore, without proper maintenance, these systems are prone to clogging or breaking, as well as decreased flow rate of material and inconsistent distribution of materials.

Other known devices spread liquid material, including de-icing liquids, brines, or other chemical applications. It is common to combine the features of a particulate material spreader with a liquid material spreader to allow flexibility in application of these materials depending on the specifics of a particular surface or job. Systems incorporating both a liquid and particulate material spreader suffer the same defects listed above, but the inclusion of spreaders for both material types creates limited space for each which in turn reduces load capacity. Lack of space on the rear of a vehicle can also cause the operator to eliminate desired features, additional components, and/or safety equipment from the vehicle.

Finally, given that the industry predominately uses salt and brine mixtures in these material spreaders, corrosion from standing salt and/or salt spray tends to pose additional problems.

What is needed is a spreader which requires less maintenance and is less susceptible to corrosion, is capable of delivering multiple material types, and maximizes the usable space on the rear of the vehicle, while maintaining flexible equipment options and not reducing the load capacity or safety of the spreader. Further advantages to such a system include favorable changes to the ease and cost of manufacturing as well as less down time due to maintenance and/or breakage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, embodiments of which will be described in detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a depiction of a material spreader hopper of the present invention;

FIG. 2A is a close up, overhead view of the forward end of the hopper;

FIG. 2B is an overhead perspective view of the hopper;

FIG. 3 is an overhead view of the conveyor;

FIG. 4A is a view of the chain wipers installed on the chain;

FIG. 4B is a view of the chain wipers;

FIG. 5A is a rear view of the hopper showing the beveled material door;

FIG. 5B is a rear view of the hopper showing the beveled material door in a partially raised position;

FIG. 6A is an overhead perspective view of the interior of the hopper showing the conveyor cover;

FIG. 6B is a view of the conveyor cover;

FIG. 7A is a view of the spreader and conveyor mount;

FIG. 7B is an alternative view of the spreader and conveyor mount;

FIG. 7C is a close up view of the drive shaft bearing;

FIG. 8A is a tear away view of the spreader attachment as mounted on the spreader mount;

FIG. 8B is a is close up view of the upper coupler for the drive shaft of the spreader assembly;

FIG. 8C is an opposite side view close up view of the lower coupler for the drive shaft of the spreader assembly;

FIG. 8D is a rear view of an installed spreader assembly;

FIG. 8E is a side view of an installed spreader assembly;

FIG. 9 is a view of the spinner drive chain and chain tensioner;

FIG. 10A is a view of a cover for a gas engine assembly;

FIG. 10B is a view of a cover for an electric or hydraulic motor assembly;

FIG. 10C is a side view of an installed cover according to FIG. 10B;

FIG. 11 is a view of the detachable spreader assembly; and

FIG. 12 is a close up view of the spinner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention describes an apparatus for depositing associated materials, including but not limited to salt or sand, onto a surface. The apparatus generally comprises one or more of the following elements, including a material spreader hopper 10, a conveyor 20 to convey associated material in the hopper toward an opening at one end of the hopper; a feed gate 50 adapted to selectively close the opening, an extension 24 and a spreader 80 adapted as described herein, to mount to the extension 24. Various other aspects, embodiments and characteristics of the apparatus and its components are described in further detail below.

With reference to FIG. 1, a material spreader hopper 10 is shown having a substantially v-shaped cross section. The hopper 10 comprises angled side walls 12 and front and rear walls 14 a, 14 b. Angled side walls 12 direct associated material down to a centrally located, longitudinal conveyor. The conveyor, best seen in FIGS. 2B and 3, directs material towards the rear of the hopper 10 by means of powered chain drive. It will be understood that the conveyor may be driven by any appropriate drive mechanism suitable for moving material deposited on the conveyor toward the rear wall 14 b of the hopper 10.

With reference to FIG. 2A, the forward most portion of the hopper 10, adjacent front hopper wall 14 a, can have an entry point for the conveyor 20 with a gasket 22 to prevent material from passing through the conveyor entry point. According to one embodiment, the gasket 22 can be made from rubber, PVC, thermoplastic elastomers, other plastics, or any other suitable material selected with sound engineering judgement.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2B, the rearward most portion of the hopper 10, extending beyond rear hopper wall 14 b may have an extension 24 which can contain or support the rearward end of conveyor 20, as well as various components of the conveyor 20 (discussed further below). The extension 24 can additionally serve as the mounting point for the material spreader 80 (discussed in more detail below).

With reference to FIG. 3, the edges of conveyor 20 extend horizontally beyond the inner most edge of the angled sides 12 of the hopper 20. The overlap of these edges serves to reduce the amount of material lost laterally from the conveyor 20 surface during operation. Additionally, mounted to the inner most edge of the angled sides 12, are gaskets 30 extending longitudinally and substantially parallel with conveyor 20. These gaskets 30 serve to further the overlap between conveyor 20 and angled sides 12 to further lessen the amount of material lost or otherwise displaced into the working components of the conveyor 20 during operation. According to one embodiment, the gaskets 30 can be made of rubber, PVC, thermoplastic elastomers, other plastics, or any other suitable material selected with sound engineering judgement.

With reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the drive chain 40 that propels conveyor 20 may include a wiper apparatus 41 comprising one or more wiper blades 42, 44. The wiper apparatus 41 may be installed so that the one or more wiper blades 42, 44 contact the chain 40 to brush away or remove any debris or material that may have gotten embedded into the chain 40 during operation. Wiper blades 42, 44 may be made of a wearable material. Wiper blades 42, 44 may be replaceable. In another embodiment, the wiper apparatus 41 may be replaceable. Wiper apparatus 41 may installed on or adjacent the terminal axle or drive shaft of the conveyor 20 as shown in FIG. 4A.

With reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the conveyor 20 exits the rearward portion of the hopper 10 through an opening in the rear wall 14 b of the hopper 10. The size of this opening can be controlled through use of a feed gate or gate check 50. The feed gate 50 can be raised or lowered through operation of the handle 52 which travels about an arc defined by channel 54 and pivot pin 55. Disposed within the channel 54 and connected to the handle can be knob 56. Once the desired opening size is achieved, knob 56 can function to lock the handle 52 within the channel 54 to thereby maintain the opening size until changed again. Previously used feed gates tend to suffer frequent malfunctions, namely that the gate itself has a tendency to jam or be difficult to move. Often this is exacerbated by the fact that the handle moves substantially in an arc while the gate moves vertically. Thus the strain of changing direction of motion would cause the gate to stick or jam. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the feed gate 50 can have beveled upper edges 58 which can allow horizontal play in the movement of the feed gate 50, thereby reducing and or eliminating the issue plaguing previous feed gates. With further reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B, feed gate 50 may be attached to handle 52 at a single point thereby allowing the feed gate 50 to swing with respect to the handle, as the handle is rotated through the arc of the channel 54. The single contact point between the handle and the feed gate may be formed by means of a pin extending through an aligning hole in the end of the handle 52 and the feed gate 50. Furthermore, the grooves 60 in which the feed gate 50 travels can be lined with material to facilitate smooth motion. According to one embodiment, grooves 60 can be lined with Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (“UHMWPE”), which is known to be highly resistant to abrasion while maintaining a very low coefficient of friction and is also known to be self-lubricating.

With reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B the hopper 10 can include an “inverted V-shaped” cover 62 positioned over the top of, and extending the length of, the conveyor 20. This cover 62 allows material to be piled in the hopper above the conveyor 20, without hindering the operation thereof. Cover 62 also facilitates material loading onto the conveyor from the longitudinal sides rather than from above. Furthermore, the cover 62 can provide additional longitudinal strength to the hopper 10 and serves to move the center of gravity of the hopper to the middle of the vehicle chassis, thereby increasing stability of the system. As shown in FIG. 6A, the cover 62 may be mounted to the hopper 10 via two brackets 64 which gives the added benefit of being lower maintenance and easier to replace or repair than previous devices.

With reference to FIGS. 7A-7C, the extension 24 at the rear of the hopper 10 can serve multiple functions, including housing the drive shaft for both the conveyor 20 and spreader, as well as serving as the mounting bracket for the removal spreader. FIG. 7A shows a view of one side of the extension 24 with a housing 70 containing the gears for driving the conveyor drive shaft 72. FIG. 7B shows the opposite side of the extension 24 wherein the sprocket 74 that connects the drive shaft 72 to the drive chain 40 can be seen. At the end of the drive shaft 72 opposite the housing can be a bearing 76, which is seen in close up in FIG. 7C. This bearing 76 is traditionally a standard ball bearing, which requires regular lubrication and is subject to failure and corrosion. According to the present invention, the bearing 76 can be constructed of UHMWPE which eliminates the need for lubrication and is not susceptible to breakdown. Further, as UHMWPE is highly resistant to abrasion and corrosion, no maintenance is required on the bearing 76.

With continued reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B, extension 24 may include side walls having inner facing mounting shelf members 82 along lower edges of the side walls. As discussed in further detail below, these mounting shelves 82 may be adapted to receive tabs 98 on the material spreader 80 so as to facilitate installation of the material spreader 80 below the conveyor 20 to receive material exiting the end of the conveyor.

With reference to FIG. 8A, a tear away view of the material spreader 80 is shown as if it were attached to the mounting shelf 82 portion of extension 24; however mounting shelf 82 has been removed from the FIGURE. As described above, mounting shelves 82 may be disposed beneath drive shaft 72 of the conveyor 20 and on a rearward surface 84 can contain an upper portion 86 of the vertical drive shaft 88 that drives the spinner. Material spreader 80 can contain the lower portion 90 of the vertical drive shaft 88. With reference to FIGS. 8A-8C, a coupling mechanism 92 allows the spreader 80 to be detached from the mounting shelves 82. The coupling mechanism 92 can be a positive engagement coupler wherein the upper portion 94 of the coupling mechanism 92 is spring biased in a downward direction. During installation of material spreader 80, the lower portion 96 of the coupling mechanism 92 pushes against the spring, driving the upper portion 94 upwards, against the biasing force of the spring. This allows clearance for the material spreader 80 to be installed, after which the spring again biases the upper portion 94 downward against the lower portion 96, thereby creating a tight connection and allowing the entire vertical drive shaft 88 to rotate as a single unit.

With reference to FIGS. 7A-8C, the material spreader 80 can be installed on the mounting shelves 82 by way of tabs 98. Tabs 98 are inserted onto the mounting shelves 82. Further, holes or indentations in the material spreader 80 may correspond to pins 102 in the extension side walls as shown in FIG. 7A. Pins 102 can be spring loaded and the force of inserting tabs 98 along shelves 82 can open the spring loaded pins 102 such that when corresponding holes or indentations in the material spreader 80 align with pins 102, the pins 102 can automatically snap into place, thereby locking spreader 80 into position until intentionally removed.

According to one embodiment, the extension 24 to the hopper 10 can be configured identically across all product lines, thereby allowing spreader 80 and associated parts to be interchangeable across all product lines. This can allow for lower manufacturing costs as all parts can be used in multiple products, which in turn can lower maintenance and replacement costs. Further, the speed and ease of installation allows for modifications by the end user without significant downtime or without putting the vehicle out of service.

With reference to FIG. 9, operation of the spreader 80 and conveyor 20 can be accomplished by a single power mechanism, which may be an engine or motor, which can turn a belt driven flywheel 104. In turn, the flywheel 104 can cause a first vertical shaft 106 to rotate. The first vertical shaft 106 can include a sprocket 108 connected to a chain 110 that extends to the vertical drive shaft 88 of the spreader 80. A lower end of the first vertical shaft 106 can terminate within housing 70 where the vertical rotation can be converted to horizontal rotation by appropriate gears which can then turn the conveyor drive shaft 72. Disposed within the chain pathway can be a spring tensioner 112 which keeps constant pressure on the chain 110, thereby eliminating the need for adjustments and reducing the overall maintenance of the chain. The spring tensioner 112 can be made of UHMWPE which can further reduce cost and maintenance of the system.

With reference to FIGS. 9, 10A and B, the power mechanism driving the flywheel 104 and thereby driving both the conveyor 20 and spreader 80 can be selected from a gas engine, an electric motor, or hydraulic motor. While these three engines are common within the industry, the standard has long been that the engines are selected at time of purchase and are not interchangeable without significant modification, cost, and time commitment. According to the present invention, the engine mount 114 can be such that it can readily accept any of these types of engines, thereby allowing an end user to change between engine types if desired. Depending on the engine chosen at purchase, a cover is provided that corresponds to the engine type. Gas cover 116, shown in FIG. 10A, can include a pair of “T-shaped” handles 118 to quickly provide access to the engine compartment. A further feature of gas cover 116 is a sloped roof portion 120 which can prevent the accumulation of materials either from loading the hopper 10 or by operation of the spreader 80. By reducing the accumulation of materials on the gas cover 116, less corrosion occurs and the need for maintenance or replacement is reduced. Gas cover 116 also can include ventilation slits 122 to allow free exchange of air between the environment for proper operation of the engine. If equipped with an electric or hydraulic motor, the motor cover 124, shown in FIG. 10B, maintains a sloped roof 120, but eliminates the need for ventilation slits 122 and is affixed via bolts or screws 126. According to one embodiment, either cover 116, 124, can be made from polymer materials, including UHMWPE, to further reduce the weight and further increase the durability and corrosion resistance of each cover.

With reference to FIG. 11, the spreader 80 shown from the rearward side can be disposed below the rearward most end of conveyor 20. As conveyor 20 moves material out of the hopper 10, it falls off the rearward end of conveyor 20 and into the spreader chamber 128. This chamber 128 catches the material and allows it to pass through the spreader 80 and onto the spinner 130 below.

With reference to FIG. 12, a close up view of the spinner 130 is shown. The spinner 130 can have a conical shaped hub 132 and a plurality of flights 134 arranged at even intervals around the centrally located hub 132. An opening 136 in the hub 132 connects to the vertical drive shaft 88 and causes the spinner 130 to rotate. As the spinner 130 rotates, material falling through the spreader chamber 128 lands on the face of the spinner 130. Centrifugal force on the material from the rotation of the spinner 130 causes a portion the material to move outwardly away from the hub 132. The material moving outward from the hub 132 is caught by flights 134 where it is redirected away from the spinner 130 in a broadcast pattern that spreads the material across a large surface area and promotes even distribution. Due to centripetal force, not all material contacting the spinner 130 moves outward. Instead, some of the material tends to move inward, towards the hub 132. In prior devices, the flights 134 would extend all the way to the hub 132, and this inwardly moving material would have a tendency to collect around the center of the spinner 130. This collection of material can cause the spinner 130 to become out of balance, which can result in uneven distribution of materials. If not addressed periodically, the spinner 130 can seize and damage the drive shaft. According to the present invention, the flights 134 do not extend all the way to the hub 132. A gap ‘A’ is left between each flight 134 and the hub 132 which allows this inwardly moving material to pass by the flights 134 and continue past the hub 132 where it can begin an outwardly path of travel, finally being caught by the flights 134 and distributed across the desired surface with little or no buildup. The conical shape of the hub 132 also reduces buildup as it prevents material from collecting in the joint between the hub 132 and the drive shaft 88.

With reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, infinitely movable baffles 138 block the expulsion of material from the spinner in undesired directions, thereby allowing the operator to customize the spread pattern and distance of the material spray according to the desired application. The baffles 138 are adjustable by means of a slot 140 and set screws 142 which allow the baffles to slide around the spinner housing 144 at any desired interval.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, all friction surfaces can be replaced with UHMWPE bearings, bushings, or friction plates to reduce or eliminate the need for lubrication and significantly reduce maintenance needs and costs.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the conveyor can be an auger or other material movement device known to those of skill in the art.

As described above, the present disclosure has been described with preferred embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications to the described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the present disclosure that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims. 

We claim:
 1. A material spreading apparatus comprises: a hopper; a conveyor longitudinally positioned within the hopper and having a first end that extends beyond the hopper through an opening in the hopper; a feed gate selectively movable between a first position to close the opening in the hopper and a second position; wherein the feed gate is attached to a handle at a single attachment point, the handle having a pivot point about which the handle rotates in an arc to move the feed gate from the first to the second position; a mounting bracket enclosing the first end of the conveyor, the mounting bracket comprising first and second shelves; A drive mechanism operatively connected to the conveyor to drive the conveyor; a spreader comprising a body having first and second tabs, wherein the spreader is slidably received onto the first and second shelves of the mounting bracket by the tabs, wherein the spreader is positioned below the first end of the conveyor; the spreader further comprising a drive shaft connected at first end to a spinner; wherein the drive shaft of the spreader and the conveyor are driven by a single power source. 